1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to grandstand seating systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a grandstand seating system suitable for use with exhibition areas of different sizes and shapes.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
The majority of the grandstand seating configuration of an arena-like facility is substantially fixed. Typically, such seating is arranged in tiered, permanent rows built on one or more upwardly sloping reinforced concrete levels surrounding a central open area. The central open area is usually quite large. For example, it is common for the open central area of an arena to be large enough to accommodate a three ring circus or a political convention or a trade show. It will be understood, however, that when the facility is used for the presentation of a basketball game; an ice hockey game; an arena football, lacrosse, or soccer game; an ice show; or any other similar exhibition intended to draw numerous spectators, the floor space utilized by the playing or exhibition surface may be substantially smaller than the open central area of the arena. In order to maximize the number of possible spectators (and thus the revenue derivable from the event), seating between the permanent tiered seats and the exhibition floor must be provided. Heretofore, this has been accomplished in numerous ways.
The simplest of these configurations has been the provision of rows of seats directly on the floor of the central area surrounding the exhibition area. This solution is easily implemented, but is satisfactory only in those cases wherein the exhibition area is built up above the floor of the central area, as is often done for musical concerts. When the exhibition surface is formed on the floor of the central area, only those in the first few rows of seats surrounding the exhibition area will be able to see the exhibition easily. Obviously, such a situation is unacceptable for general application.
Another solution to this problem is the use of temporary grandstands which are assembled and disassembled as necessary to provide grandstand seating between the permanent tiers of seats and the exhibition floor. The assembly and disassembly of temporary seating and its associated scaffolding to achieve tiered rows of spectator seating between the permanent seats and the exhibition floor is a time consuming, expensive and potentially dangerous task. Even if the scaffolding is partially pre-assembled, it is heavy and unwieldy. Therefore, there is not only a potential for accidents during the assembly/disassembly operation, but also the time required for the assembly/disassembly may be quite long and expensive. Additional expense arises from the need either to provide storage for the scaffolding and related seating (assuming it is owned by the arena), or to rent same (if it is not owned by the arena). Similarly, a minor error during assembly, such as the failure to attach or to fully tighten a bolt, can result in injury to numerous spectators if the temporary unit fails during the exhibition. Accordingly, while temporary seating is sometimes still used by some arenas, it is not preferred in the art.
Yet another attempted solution to the problem of providing seating between the permanent seats of an arena and an exhibition floor smaller than the open central area of the arena is the use of telescopic grandstand seating. Telescopic seating systems are well known in the art as shown for example by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,041,655; 3,667,171; and 3,364,637. In this type of seating, each of the tiers of seats is mounted on a rectangular support frame including upright rear posts, horizontal seat and deck supports connecting the top ends of the upright rear posts, brace members extending between the upright posts and the horizontal seat and deck supports, and horizontal wheeled carriages connected to the lower ends of the respective posts and extending normally to the plane of the remainder of the substantially rectangular support frame. Each of the separate tiers moves independently on its associated carriages, but interlocks with the tiers above and below it when the unit is expanded into its open position. In the closed position, the various tiers nest together such that the deck/seat support/seat rows are located substantially one on top of the other to thereby create a closed unit having a width only slightly greater than the width of one tier. In the open position, on the other hand, the unit displays the common stepped configuration of a grandstand. The interlocking of the tiers generally facilitates the opening operation and prevents over-expansion of the unit. Similarly, numerous locking devices have been utilized to prevent unintended movement of the tiers toward the closed position while the unit is in use. Many installations of such seating units have minimized the extension of the closed unit into the open central area of the arena by providing recesses in the walls of the central area beneath the front rows of the permanent seats into which the telescoping grandstand seating may be closed. The advantages of these systems are numerous. They are easy to open and close. They are safe. They may be stored when not in use directly adjacent the area in which they are used with little or no loss in the usable central area of the arena.
A problem with the use of telescopic grandstand seating in the arena context remains, however. Telescopic grandstand seating of the type just described is customarily designed for use with an exhibition floor area of a particular size and shape. For example, the conversion of an open central area from a configuration suitable for a convention or trade show to a configuration suitable for a basketball game may involve locating a basketball playing surface (court) centrally on the floor of the open central area of the arena, and providing telescopic grandstand seating which extends from the permanent seating at a downward angle to a point adjacent the basketball playing surface. In that case, the respective telescopic seating units are simply opened from their closed configuration in the storage recesses in the walls of the central area. Individual seats thereafter are added to the seat supports if they are not integrally incorporated into the telescopic seating system itself. The units lock together tier to tier by means of internal mechanisms generally provided as part of the units. Similarly, the units are easy to attach together one unit to the next for added stability, if desired.
If one assumes the need to provide seating extending between the permanent seating of the arena and playing surfaces of two different sizes (such as an ice rink and a basketball court), however, the conversion of the arena amongst its various desired seating configurations becomes more complex. This is particularly true because the boards surrounding a hockey rink are a fairly permanent structure, and the required conversion time between a hockey game in the afternoon and a basketball game the same evening is on the order of two and one-half hours. A telescopic grandstand adapted to extend from the permanent seats to a point adjacent the ice will not reach a point adjacent the smaller dimensions of a basketball court. Similarly, a telescopic grandstand adapted to extend from the permanent seats to a point adjacent a basketball court cannot be fully opened to provide seating extending between the fixed seats and a point adjacent the edge of the ice. The pitch of the tiers of seats extending downward from the permanent seats is different in each case, and standard telescopic grandstand seating cannot solve both situations simultaneously. This circumstance is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein a conventional telescopic grandstand located adjacent a hockey rink is shown in solid lines, and the typical location of a basketball or other smaller exhibition surface and the desired grandstand pitch for use therewith are shown in phantom.
Attempts have been made to adapt telescopic grandstand seating to solve this problem. One such proposal is to adjust the pitch of the telescopic seating from the shallow pitch used for a basketball game, for example, to the steeper pitch required for a larger playing surface, such as for a hockey game for example, by telescoping some of the tiers of the telescopic seating unit beneath the tiers directly above them (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,364,637). This so-called "double decking" approach can also be utilized to alter the configuration of a unit designed to extend to a point adjacent a smaller exhibition surface such that a preselected number of the lower tiers are all telescoped inwardly. In this configuration, the pitch of the seating changes and the lowermost row of useable seating might be located adjacent to the top of the hockey boards. In that case, temporary seating modules are placed inwardly of the boards to provide seating from the top of the boards down to a point adjacent the basketball court. It will be understood however that this so-called double decking introduces complexity in locking the various tiers together in the desired configuration. The few times that it has been tried commercially, it has proven to be undesirable.
Separate telescopic seating units could be constructed for each of the required seating configurations and substituted for each other as the situation warranted. Devices for moving telescopic seating units from place to place are well known in the art. This solution is impractical because the exchange of telescopic seating units one for another is both time consuming and expensive. Further, the necessity of providing storage outside the arena for the units not in place along the walls of the central area is cumbersome and expensive. Accordingly, this alternative also is not entirely satisfactory.